Top five oddest classic car features

Anyone who has purchased a car has likely been overwhelmed by the list of features on the window sticker. Over the years, there have been some pretty imaginative features offered right from the dealership. Here are five of the more unique examples.

Lightning Rods Shifter – 1984 Oldsmobile Hurst: The perfect option for any automotive enthusiast who just can’t get enough levers, the Lightning Rods shifter walks a very strange line between a typical automatic and a full ratchet shifter. As goofy as it may look, Lightning Rods have no problem putting the power to the ground.

Swivel Seats – 1975 Chevrolet Laguna S3: It’s a wonder that more cars weren’t offered with swiveling seats, seeing as those troublesome stationary seats are always such a bother to get in and out of. While the swivel seat was designed for easy egress, an added benefit is that your vinyl won’t wear out nearly as quickly.

Highway Hi-Fi record player – 1957 Chrysler 300: The Highway Hi-Fi did its best to combat the needle scratching your precious 45s. Not only is there a generous amount of suspension built into the record player, the pressure placed on the needle was known to prematurely wear records out.

Rim Blow Steering Wheel – 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429: In a time before road rage, Ford, AMC, Chrysler, and GM all thought it would be much better to get rid of the pesky horn button and just have drivers squeeze the wheel. One major defect of the Rim Blow was shrinkage… which caused the horn to sound all the time.

“His and Hers” Shifter (Hurst Dual/Gate) – 1969 Oldsmobile Hurst 442: One of the more sexist options to be offered on a car (to date), the Hurst Dual/Gate shifter was branded as the “His and Hers” shifter. The theory here was women wouldn’t want to be bothered by changing gears while driving. This option allowed the driver to kick the stick over and access all three gears “manually.”